Nanbu Livestock Development Project
Location: Pingqiao Township, Nanbu, Sichuan Province
No. of Recipients households: 70
No. of animals given: 7,000 chickens and 700 piglets
No. of pass-on families: 70
Nanbu is a state-designated poor county in the northeast of Sichuan Province. It is a hilly area with limited resources and labor opportunities. The overall conditions of production, livelihood, education, medical and health service are very poor. The project site, Pingqiao Township, one the poorest townships in Nanbu, has a total population of 13,100. The average annual per capita income is less than RMB1,070 (USD 149).
Farmers have a long tradition of keeping a small number of pigs and chickens to make some profit and collect the animal manure as fertilizer. However, their animal raising practices are very basic and inefficient. The local government has begun implementing "Grain to Green" policy to help the farmers plant trees and grass on spare land to reduce soil and water erosion.
The project provides each of 70 poor families in Pingqiao Township with 100 fine quality small chickens and 10 good quality piglets. The farmers will be trained to keep the chickens for eggs within fruit gardens and the pig manure will be put into the biogas generators and then used as crop fertilizer. Participants will also receive training on Heifer Cornerstones, livestock keeping skills, sanitation and health care, group management, gender equity and HIV/AIDS awareness.